HELP: How to wire up an Hour Meter?!

[J@mes]

Hi people!

I have just bought this hour meter... DC HOUR METER 12-48V (hexagonal casing) UF17305017 | eBay

I want to wire it up to my 2012 50hp Tohatsu TLDI engine.

It has three pins on the back and wiring instructions are...

V+... Operating voltage
V-... Common (ground)
I... Enable (Optional, use operating voltage to power this pin to record elapsed time (701) or increment count (703).)

and in the auction it says...
3 pin Device (positive, negative, I Pin. The I Pin needs to have system voltage applied to it on the first use for it to feature on the display)

I am not very good when it comes to electrics, so this is what I want to know, how do I wire it up?

Am I correct in thinking its just a wire to the positive and a wire to the negative terminals on the battery and for the "I" pin, connect that to the ignition?

Is this correct? If so can anyone tell me which wire is the ignition wire I need to tap into from the control box/ignition key?

Here is my manual online... http://www.tohatsu.co.jp/en/boat/pro...body_houmu.pdf I think page 31 is the most appropriate but I am still not sure which wire is the ignition wire?!

Thanks very much,

James.

[J@mes]

bump

[Peter_C]

Since the I pin is optional, keep it simple and just use the positive/negative wiring that is located in the console. The key or ignition on will supply 12 volts so connect to that. The fuel gauge or tach have 12 volts to them. There should be a ground easily accessible as well. As to the 12 volts being on, there are not a lot of times you have the ignition on for more than a few seconds without starting the boat.

[ShinyShoe]

If I'm reading it right, keeping it simple like Peter C says you need to connect I and 12volts together to the same wire for it to start counting. BUT if you switch the engine off the screen will go off (it will remember the numbers).

Instead I'd connect the Ground (V-) to black wire making sure that black is connected to -ve terminal on the battery. The V+ to a normally on 12V supply (i.e. something that is normally live - like the 12V supply to the bilge pump before its switch). Need a fuse between it and battery.

I - goes to something that will tell you the engine is on. The suggestion of the ignition key sounds reasonable. The wiring in the manufacturer original tachometer includes battery, oil and temp warning lights, so lots of wires. But judging by the dial on the back of their tacho it counts pulses rather than actual hours of power being on... so don't use the feed for their tacho as yours isn't counting pulses.

?? IS IT WATERPROOF ??

[J@mes]

Thanks for the reply guys!

It doesnt say if its waterproof, but tbh I was planning on mounting it inside the console near the battery, maybe even inside the battery box, purely because I wont have to cut any holes in the console, which I prefer as I think it looks good as is!

Sorry I am still confused (too much Merlot tonight!)

So I cant/should'nt simply connect the V+ to the positive terminal on the battery. The V- to the negative terminal on the battery and the I connection seems to be the only one I got correct, say the ignition wire (I don't have a bilge pump), but I am still unsure which wire is the ignition wire in my control box?! Surely someone must know for the Tohatsu engines?! (fingers crossed!)

See I told you I am useless at electrics!

Thanks guys!

[ShinyShoe]

V+ yes to battery but via a fuse and do you have an isolator or some other way to switch it off if you want to stop it draining battery over winter. Its going to draw miniscule current so through any existing fuse. Red on ignition switch would do.

V- to minus on battery Black ignition would do provided its not switched. Direct to battery would be fine too. Or the black on the ignition switch.

I - if there was a purple wire on your ignition switch that'd be worth a look. Stick a voltmeter across it and black with the engine off - it should read 0V, then with the engine on - it should read 12V. If it does, pull the dead man - curious if it still reads 12V in which case the hours would keep clicking up if the deadman is used to kill the engine rather than the key (forget to undo dead man when putting a boat away engine dies, you leave the key in and when you get home 2 hours later the engine has gained a couple of hours). If thats an issue and there is a black and yellow wire to try measuring it instead of the black.

[Peter_C]

It is a waterproof unit to IP65.

Owners manual.

Looks like it needs an external wiring harness, as it doesn't say it comes with it. My post above was incorrect for wiring. Shinyshoe has it right, but any wire that has 12 volts applied to it with key on will work. It is not complicated.

[J@mes]

Thanks for the replys guys, I should be ok now!

I did send an email out of interest asking if it was waterproof, this is the reply I got today... "This unit is IP Rating 65 which means it is dust tight and protected against jets of water from any direction"

As you say Peter, its IP65 rating, so should be ok mounted on the console I would have thought!

Thanks again for your help guys!

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by J@mes

As you say Peter, its IP65 rating, so should be ok mounted on the console I would have thought!

My experience of the IP65 rating is perhaps not as forgiving. I'd have wanted IP67 for a console.
The IP65 rating is tested by spraying 12.5litres of water per minute (quite a bit) for 3 minutes (not that long) through a 6mm nozzle, from a distance of 3 meters. Its a bit like squirting it with a garden hose for 3 minutes.

You are (potentially) going to be chucking bucket loads of water at it at fairly high forces for several hours.

I'd put it inside the console.

[J@mes]

ok mate cheers for that!